Rail-holding device.



l. W. THOMAS.

RAIL HOLDING DEVICE.

mvrucmou mm NOV. 19. ms.

Patented my 29, 1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. THOMAS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ABSIGNOB TO THE THOMAS RAILWAY TRACK APPLIANCE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF KANSAS.-

BAIL-HOLDING DEVICE.

Specification 01' Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1917.

Application filed November 18, 1915. Serial 1! o. 6 2388.

To all whom it may Canter n:

Be it known that I, Jorm W. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of The shouldered mem er 6, in plan view, 18

Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Rail-Holding Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to rail holding ap- 'pliances, and my object is to provide a simple and inexpensive device of this character whereby a rail is securely held from rattling, tipping laterally, or creeping longituinally.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fi re 1 is 'a cross section of a rail held in position by my invention.

Fi 2 "s" a horizontal section on line 11- I of Fig.1, with some of the parts removed.

Fi 3 is a broken, inverted plan'view of a tie-p ate and-fastening device employed in carrying out my invention.

1 3%.? is a broken, vertical section on line 'IV- of F1 1. v Fig. 5 is a detail of the fastening device constituting an important feature 0 the invention.

Fi 6 is a horizontal section on line VI'- I of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a detail end view of the tie-plate.

Adesignates a rail of usual. construction.

1 designates a tie-plate adapted to be secured to an under-lying cross-tie B with spikes C. Said tie-plate is providednear one side with arlip 2 and near its opposite side with an abutment 2, having a beveled upper surface 2.-

3 designates slots extendingthrough the tie-plate 1 adjacent the abutment 2' to receive fastening devices 4, which coactwith the lip 2 in firml securing the rail A upon the tie-plate 1. wo diagonal corners at the underside of each slot 3, are beveled as indicated at 3,to tightenthe fastening devices 4, as will be herelnafter shown.

A Each fastening device 4 in the present in 'stance', consists of a shank 5, ashouldered member 6 depending from' said shank 5, a head 7, and an eccentric portion 8, interposed between the shank 5 and the head 7,

and provided with a In 8.

' disclosed by Fig. 1, they will bear'firml the crosstie of approximately the same shape as'the slots 3 and adapted to pass therethrough when turned longitudinally thereof, as disclosed at the lower portion of Fig. 3. The head 7 I is of proper form to overlap the adjacent flange of the rail'b'ase when said head is turned in the direction disclosed by Fig. 1.

. In practice, the rail A is placed in position upon the tie-plate 1 with one of its base flanges underlying the hp 2 and its other base flange lying upon the upper bevel edge 2? of the abutment 2. Pressure is then applied to the raised base flan e to forceit down ofl' the bevel edge 2, an seat the base" squarely upon the tie-plate 1. The two fastening devices-4 are then placed imposition in the slots 3 and turned one quarter eta-" I revolution to cause the heads 7 to overlap the adjacent base flange. This operation re quires more or less force as the original in clination of the under surface of the heads. is slightly less than the inclination oflfthf upper surface of the rail base in order th when said heads are turned to the positi upon the flange of the rail base and fo the latter so firml into contact with the Sui-'- I face of the tie-p ate as to prevent the rail from creeping longitudinally. The turnin of the fastening devices 4 causes the sho dered members 6 to travel down the bevel corners 3 ofthe slots 3, and coact with the.

heads 7 in firmly binding the rail 'A upon the tie-plate 1, so. that said rail cannot rattle or creep longitudinally. The turning of the fastening'devices 4 also brin their eccentric portions 8 against the a jacent mar 'n of the rail base which is forced latera ly thereb until firmly seated beneath the lip 2. A ter the rail has been thus firmly se-- loose untilsa-id spikes are withdrawn from p the cross-tie Having thus described my invention,

what I claim and desire' 'to' secure by Letters Patent, is:

1 In a device of the character described, a tie-plate having a rail-engaging member at one side and an openin at its opposite side, and a fastening device rotatably arranged within said opening and embodying rail-holding means, and an edged member which latter is adapted to be embedded in an underlying cross tie.

2. In a device of the character described,

-a tie-plate, and a rail fastening device rotatably mounted in said tie-plate and embodying a nonthreaded shouldered member of greater width than depth adapted to be embedded in an underlying cross-tie, for the purpose described.

3. In a device of the character described, a tie-plate having a spike hole therein, and

a rail fastening device rotatably mounted within saidtie-plate and embodyinga lug extending at an angle thereto and adapted to abut a spike driven into said spike hole for holding the tie-plate in position, substantially as described.

4. A rail fastening device consisting of a cylindrical ortion, an edge-shaped portion depending rom said cylindrical portion, an eccentric portion surmounting said cylindrical portion, and a head surmounting said ecgentric portion and adapted to overlap a rail ase;

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN W. THOMAS. Witnesses:

F. G. Frsonnn, L. J. FISCHER, 

